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YASUKUNI-TO Swords Made at the Yasukuni Shrine

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YASUKUNI-TO Swords Made at the Yasukuni Shrine YASUKUNI-TO Swords made at the Yasukuni Shrine. Originally founded by the newly restored Emperor Meiji in 1868, the shrine at Kudanshita in Tokyo, named Shokonsha, was for the worship of the spirits of those who gave their lives in the defence of the Empire of Japan. The term Yasukuni of Yasukuni Shrine was bestowed by the Emperor Meiji in 1879 and means “Peaceful Country”, implying that owing to the great sacrifices made, the Empire enjoys peace and tranquillity. Today, Yasukuni Shrine has many political overtones as it is seen as a war memorial glorifying Japan’s recent past aggression in the 1930’s and 40’s. There is a very interesting museum known as the Yushukan attached to the shrine which is well worth a visit as there is a comprehensive collection with objects reflecting the time since the Shrine’s founding, as well as a collection of antique swords and armour. In addition there are displays from the World War 2 period including, amongst other objects, a suicide plane and a one man submarine. Of particular note in the collection, is a rare Gensui-to or Field Marshal’s sword, that was the personal gift from the Emperor. At various times, archery, sumo and flower arranging displays are carried out in the grounds of the shrine, whilst in April, the grounds of the shrine are one of the most recommended places in Tokyo, for viewing the cherry-blossom. As swords are made from natural elements, which according to the Japanese religion of Shintoism, all pocess an individual spirit or kami, then it is not inappropriate that swords were often made in shrines such as Yasukuni. The earliest swords made in Yasukuni Shrine were made in 1886 on the occasion of the 56th dedication of a new Ise Shrine (the old one is torn down and replaced every 25 years). Miyamoto Kanenori and Heiki Kanetsugu were required to make some of the 66 straight swords required for this occasion and they did this at Yasukuni Shrine which was less than 20 years old itself then. By 1933, Japan had descended into the kuroi-tani (black valley) of military fascism and the army had a firm control of the government. The military emphasised Yamato- daimishi or the Japanese spirit of the samurai and corrupted the principles of Bushido to its own ends. It was decreed that all officers of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy should imitate the samurai and wear a sword. It was not intended that they necessarily be proficient at kendo (Japanese fencing) but that the sword would boost their sense and appreciation of bushido so that each officer could have his day as a samurai. The Nihonto Tanren Kai Foundation (NTK) the Japanese Sword Forging Association, was a non-profit making organisation funded by the Army and private donations, and was founded by Army Minister Araki Sadao at Yasukuni Shrine in July 1933. At this time there were thought to be only ten active swordsmiths in the entire country and it was feared that the traditional forging skills and techniques of Japanese sword making, were in grave danger of being lost. The philosophy was that officers of higher rank should have good quality and traditionally made swords, demonstrating a pure Japanese spirit in the many countries in which they fought and occupied. These were to be of far higher quality than the more common Showa-to or mass-produced swords produced in their thousands and mostly made in the town of Seki in Gifu Prefecture. About thirty people worked at Yasukuni Shrine at various times until the cessation of hostilities in 1945. Over these twelve years 8,100 swords, which became known as Yasukuni-to, were produced and they had three important characteristics: They restored production of the raw material for swords known as tamahagane. This had been discontinued in the last year of the Taisho period (1925). After the war the Yasukuni tatara (smelter) was reinstated by the NBTHK (Sword Society) and is still in operation today. Famous swordsmiths from various different schools collaborated and came together. This was not the case in the past when swordsmiths jealously guarded their own school’s secrets. There was a well organised system including regular wages for the swordsmiths. All swordsmiths working at Yasukuni were given the first character in the Shrine’s name -Yasu- as the first character of their smith’s name. At the beginning there were two swordsmiths, Miyaguchi Yasuhiro (1897-1956) who was a pupil of Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu and who made some 500 blades at Yasukuni, the second, Kajima Yasutoku (1881-1957) was a pupil of Yokoyama Sukeyoshi and from Hiroshima. They were joined six months later by Ikeda Yasumitsu who came from the school of Ikeda Kazuhide. Later two additional swordsmiths (Kotani Yasunori and Kajiyama Yasutoshi) were promoted from the sakité or hammer-men. The following was written in a sword magazine in 1933, describing the founding members, Yasuhiro and Yasutoku’s background. “One of the selected smiths is called Miyaguchi Shigeru and comes from Sugamo in Tokyo. He is thirty-seven years old, the third generation swordsmith in his family. He learned swordmaking from his father when he was very young, and afterwards he apprenticed himself to Kasama Ikkansai Shigetsugu. He later became a trainee of the Chuo Token Kai. He was engaged in swordmaking and blade engraving after retiring from the institute. His sugata resembles that of fine old blades; the hamon are skilfully tempered, and he is highly accomplished at blade engraving. His real name is Toshihiro, but he was given the name “Yasuhiro” by the Minister of War. The other smith is Kojima Tokutaro, from Nikata Town, Kamo County in Hiroshima Prefecture. He is fifty-two years old. He is a second generation swordsmith and learned Bizen-den from his father, then apprenticed himself to Yokoyama Sukeyoshi, who calls himself the 58th generation descended from Bizen Tomonari. Tokutaro forges very strong jigane, though his swords have a modest appearance. He used to be called “Ujimasa” but was given the name of “Yasunori (Yasutoku) by the Minister of War.” In line with the general philosophy of making swords in the traditional manner and using traditional raw materials, no machines, other than drills for making the mekugi- ana (tang holes) were used at Yasukuni. The typical Yasukuni-to were modelled after the style of Nagamitsu and Kagemitsu (both very early swordsmiths from Osafune in Bizen province).These swords were more slender and graceful than those generally made in the early Showa period (1926-45) and usually had a small kissaki or point. The normal length or nagasa of Yasukuni-to is between 63.6 cm and 66.7 cm. Generally the Yasukuni-to was signed in the manner of the tachi, which is on the outer side of the tang when the sword is worn with the cutting edge down. The name was usually only two characters and set above the mekugi-ana and the date would be on the reverse side to the name. The limited number of tanto or daggers produced were signed in the conventional manner. The yasurime (file marks on the tang) on Yasukuni-to are usually kiri (horizontal) and the nakago-jiri (butt end of the tang) are kuri-jiri or rounded, although Yasumitsu used kengata-jiri (pointed). Of the swords produced at Yasukuni Shrine by the NTK, approximately a third were subjected to tameshigiri (cutting tests).These were conducted after the initial polishing had been done and concerned about one third of the total swords produced. The cutting tests were done by the “Suemono-giri” method. This involved the straw from tatami mats being wrapped around a core of bamboo and then soaked overnight in water, which produced a target considered to have the texture of flesh and bone and so provided a realistic test. The sharpness was reported by the testers to the Nihonto Tanren Kai who made every effort to improve quality based on these results. There is also evidence that they had feedback from those officers in the field who owned Yasukuni-to, as they reduced the weight having heard that the earlier swords were too heavy a burden for soldiers on a long march. Also twice a month, all the newly produced swords were examined by a very strict shinsa or examination and appraisal panel which was organised by the important sword association called the Chuo Token Kai who also selected new smiths to work at Yasukuni. It was emphasised that the judges should “give no consideration to politics, human relationships, or the reputation of the smiths” when selecting smiths. When blades were being inspected their details were recorded and they were ranked as “Ko”, “Otsu”, “Hei” or they were disqualified and their prices were set accordingly. The strict shinsa ensured that high standards were maintained as well as setting the price for individual swords which were sold by Kaiko-sha Association, which seems to have been a non-profit making retail arm of the Foundation. Here it may be noted that some of the swordsmiths at Yasukuni Shrine, were unhappy with the restrictions placed on them by the strict shinsa panel, only wanting swords made to a very narrow design brief. This was especially so of Kajima Yasunori, who when making swords at the shrine would push the limits of the shinsa panel’s tolerance by adding tobiyaki (small isolated hard patches in the body of the sword appearing to have broken away from the hamon). He would also make some hamon or hardened edge, in choji-midare with many ashi which was more ornate than the shinsa panel required.
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